In a spark-ignition internal combustion engine of an intra-cylindrical injection type, a fuel may attach to a piston crown surface and the like. If an amount of the attached fuel increases and is ignited and combusted by the flame of combustion, the particulate number (PN) will increase. In view of this, to restrain the attachment of the fuel to the piston crown surface, JP 2004-211664A discloses a technique to apply advancing correction to a fuel injection timing during a compression process in accordance with a blow-back amount during a valve overlap period.
In the foregoing document, stratified combustion is performed by injection in the compression process. Furthermore, in the foregoing document, the fuel injection timing during the compression process is advanced to make the distance between a fuel injection valve and a piston crown surface at the time of fuel injection longer than before the correction, thereby reducing an amount of the fuel attached to the piston crown surface.